Obama plans Ireland visit to discuss US immigration

July 06 2009 by Mark Johnstone

Obama to change Irish and US immigration laws?

US President Barack Obama wants to visit Ireland and at some future stage would “definitely” plan to come here, newly appointed US ambassador to Ireland Daniel M Rooney has said.

Mr Rooney presented his letters of credence to President Mary McAleese at Áras an Uachtaráin last week. In a press conference afterwards at a Dublin hotel, Mr Rooney said he had discussed the prospects for an Irish visit with Mr Obama: “Well I know that he wants to come. When things settle down, he definitely would plan it.”

Mr Rooney said they had discussed the possibility that Mr Obama could include Ireland on the schedule for one of his trips to Europe or the Far East.

But the ambassador was reluctant to speculate on the timing of any presidential visit: “His schedule right now is so full it’s difficult to see when it would be.”

Mr Rooney was vague about the prospects for a bilateral arrangement on Irish and US immigration, similar to the E3 visa available to Australian college graduates on a two-year renewable basis.

“I think right now with the situation that exists with US immigration generally, it’s hard to pinpoint that you’re going to do something for just one country,” he said.

Explaining the background, he said: “Congress is going to debate this and they have to look at it in its entirety, you can’t just make one rule for Ireland as you can imagine. But there is interest there, there is interest, we do understand the issues.

“I just arrived so I have not talked to the Government about this at all, and will do so, and talk to our own people. I have had some conversations with the people at the State Department and things like that, and in the Congress,” he said.

Clearly looking forward to his new appointment and his involvement in moving forward changes to Irish and US visa law, Mr Rooney said: “I’m very pleased to be here, I’m honoured that President Obama would select me to be the ambassador and I have great feel and regard for Ireland, have had for a long time, so it’s terrific to be here.”

Despite his long connections with Ireland and the Rooney family’s roots in Newry, Co Down, he reminded his listeners that his first duty was to the president: “Let’s say this, I’m like St John the Baptist, I bring the message.”

Well-known in the US as chairman of the current Super Bowl champions the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mr Rooney was one of the founders of the American Ireland Funds for the promotion of peace, and has also funded the annual Rooney Prize for Irish Literature.

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